Ice-cream freezer for electrical refrigerators



May 14, 1940- I R. HAMILTON ETAL 2.200273 I ICE-CREAM FREEZER FOR ELECTRICAL REFRIGERATORS Filed Nov. 9, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 1940- R. HAMILTON ET AL 2.200.273

ICE-CREAM FREEZER FOR ELECTRICAL REFRIGERATORS Filed NOV. 9, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ill/IIHIII Attorneys y 14, 1940- R. HAMILTON ET A1. 2.200.273

ICE-CREAM FREEZER FOR ELECTRICAL REFRIGERATORS Filed Nov. 9, 1958 s Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 14, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ICE-CREAM FREEZER FOR ELECTRICAL REFRIGERATORS Roy Hamilton and tobert Hudson, Merced,

alif.

Application November 9, 1938, Serial No. 239,716

v 2 Claims. This invention relates to refrigerators provided with equipment for producing ice cream view of an electric domestic refrigerator showing the ice-cream freezer unit positioned. in the freezing chamber.

Figures 2, 3 and 4 are detail views taken substantially on the lines 22, 33 and 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Figure 2. 4

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Figure 4, and Figure '1 is a fragmentary. detail view partly in section and partly in elevation for more clear- The freezing compartment of the refrigerator.

is indicated generally by the reference numeral 6 while the ice pan or tray-receiving compartment is indicated by the reference numeral I.

In the present instance the compartment I is shown as being open at the front thereof, and coils 8 encircle the compartment I in the usual manner.

Further in accordance with the present invention the ice pan or tray-receiving compartment I is divided by a horizontal partition or wall 9 into an upper section and a lower ice-cream freezing section, the latter being indicated by the reference numeral l0.

. The upper and lower sections of the compartment I are provided with -vertically spacedpairs of opposed ice tray -supporting rails II for supporting ice trays I2. In this connection it will be understood that when the compartment III is not'being used in the freezing or making of ice cream, ice cube trays, such as shown at I2, may be arranged therein and supported by the rails II provided therefor within the lower section III of the compartment I. It will be'understood that the refrigerator-will be provided with the usual refrigerating mecha-,

nism (not shown), and forming no important part of the present invention; and that the liquid refrigerant is supplied to a boiler or header; (not shown), through the means of a compressor and condenser operated by a suitable power means such as an electric motor, all of which are well known in the art and are not shown, the liquid refrigerant circulating, as is known, through the coils whereby to freeze the water placed in the pans or trays l2.

In accordance with the present invention the same mechanism may be employed for freezing ice cream and to that end the ice cube trays-are removed from the lower section III of the compartment I and positioned within said section I of the compartment 1 is the vertically disposed ice-cream freezer indicated generally by the reference numeral I3. In the present instance the freezer I3 comprises a cylinder I4 that is opened at its top and closed at its bottom. At the bottom thereof is journaledlin a bearing I6 provided therefor on the bottom wall II of the lower section III of the compartment I; 4

For the open top of the cylinder I4 there is provided a lid I8 as clearly shown in Figure 4.

The cylinder or can I4 accommodates a suitable dasher IS, the shaft 20 of which'has one end adapted to be journaled in a suitable bearing 2| provided therefor within the can or-cylinder I4 at the bottom of the latter. At the upper end thereof the dasher shaft 20 extends through an opening 22 provided therefor in the lid I8 and accommodates on its upper end-a bevel gear 23. As shown in Figure 4 the extreme upper end of the dasher shaft 20 is squared vas at 24 to fit in the gear 23 which latter is also provided with a handle 26 to facilitate the positioning of the gear on the shaft 20. The lid l8, for the can or cylinder 'I4 is also provided at the center thereof with a bevel gear 21 which is formed integrally with the lid I 8 or otherwise permanently fastened the cylinder I4 is provided with a stud I thatin a complemental socket 25 provided therefor is arranged within the recess or chamber 30 an electric motor 3| for driving the shaft 29 through the medium of gearing 32. It will thus be seen that drive from the motor 30 is transmitted to the shaft 29 through the gearing 32 and from the shaft 29 to the dasher shaft 20 through the medium of the intermeshing gears 28 and 23 for turning the dasher in'one direction, while drive from the shaft 29 is transmitted through the medium of the intermeshing gears 28, 22, to the can or cylinder It for revolving the latter reversely with respect to the rotation of the dasher l9.

In actual practice it will be found that with the dasher I9 revolving in one direction and the can or cylinder I 4 revolving in a reverse direction, the contents of the can or cylinder M will be thoroughly agitated and consequently brought to the desired consistency within a very short space of time.

Obviously as the ice-cream contents of the can or cylinder I4 is being thus turned the refrigerant circulating through the coils 8 will freeze the ice cream in a positive and efiicient manner,

After the ice cream has been brought to the proper consistency and frozen to the desired de gree, the can or cylinder I may be bodily removed from the lower section III of the compartment 7. To accomplish this removal the operator pulls upwardly on the knob 26 to raise the gear 23 off of the upper end of the dasher shaft 20 whereupon the can l4 may be tilted as required to lift the stud l5 out of the bearing 16 permitting complete removal of the freezer from the compartment. 1

To accommodate the gears 22, 23 and 29 the partition wall 9 terminates short of the front of the compartment 1 and at its forward edge there is formed on the partition 9 a gear casing including a lower section 34that is integral with the partition 9 and an upper removable section 35. At the lower edge thereof the section 35 is formed to provide an internal groove 36' that receives the upper edge of the wall of the lower gear casing. The upper section 35 is held seated on the lower gear casing section 34 through the medium of nut-equipped bolts 36 hinged to the wall 9 at opposite sides of the gear case section 34 as at 31 and engageable with pairs of lugs 38 provided on opposite sides of the upper gear case section 38 as will be clear from a study of Figures 2 and 7.

It will also be noted that the top wall of the upper gear case section 35 is provided with an opening to receive the handle member 26 associated with the gear 23. Also there will be suitable clearance between the gear 23 and the top wall of the upper gear case section 35 as to permit the gear 23 to be raised out of engagement with the dasher shaft 20.

It is thought that a clear understanding of the construction, utility and advantages of an invention of this character will be had without a. more detailed description.

Having thus describedthe inventionwhat is claimed as new is: v

1. In a domestic refrigerator having a cabinet provided with a rear wall equipped with a recess accessible from the exteriorof said cabinet, said cabinet also having therein an ice tray-receiving chamber surrounded by refrigerating coils, said ice tray-receiving chamber having a horizontalpartition therein dividing said chamber into upper and lower sections, said partition at the front edge thereof'terminating short of the front end of said chamber and provided at said front edge,

with a gear case, a bearing member mounted in the bottom of the lower section of said chamber, and in substantial alignment with said gear-case, an ice-cream freezer including a container provided on the bottom thereof with a stud adapted tobe journaled in said bearing, and a dasher revolubly mounted in said container and having a shaft provided at its upper free end with a squared terminal, a gear rotatably mounted in said gear casing and supported therein for vertical movement, said gear having therein a socket H complemental to the squared terminal of said dasher shaft for receiving said terminal, a lid for said container having an aperture therein to accommodate the dasher shaft and also provided with a gear thereon accommodated within said gear case when the freezer is positioned within the lower section of said chamber, a gear on one end of said shaft and arranged within said gear case and meshing with the first and secondnamed gears, a power unit mounted within the aforementioned wall recess, said shaft having an end thereof terminating withinsaid recess, and gearing connecting said power unit with said shaft for driving the latter from said power unit, the first, second and third-named gears intermeshing for transmitting drive from said shaft to the dasher and container simultaneously for rotating said dasher and container in reverse directions relative to one another.

2. In a domestic refrigerator having a cabinet provided with a rear wall equipped with a recess accessible from the exterior of said cabinet, said cabinet also having therein an ice tray-receiving chamber surrounded by refrigerating coils, said ice tray-receiving chamber having a horizontal partition therein dividing said chamber into upper and lower sections, said partition at the front edge thereof terminating short of the front end movement, said gear having therein a socket complemental'to the squared terminal of saiddasher shaft for receiving said terminal, a lid' for said container having an aperture therein to accommodate the dasher shaft and also provided with a gear thereon accommodated within said gear case when the freezer is positioned within the lower section of said chamber, a gear on one end of said shaft and arranged within said gear case and meshing with the first and second-named gears, .a power unit mounted within the aforementioned wall recess, said shaft having an end thereof terminating within said recess, and gearing connecting said power unit with said shaft for driving the latter from said power unit, the

first, second and third-named gears intermeshing for transmitting drive from said shaft to the dasher and container simultaneously for rotating said dasher and container in reverse direc-.

accommodating rails. 1

' ROY HAMILTON.

ROBmT HUDSON. 

